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On ITV, they are paying tribute to Ireland’s departing centurions: Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy. The last of those is not in the match-day 23 against Italy, so Healy has played his last game – but is with the squad today – and will finish on a record 137 caps. O’Mahony and Murray could come of the bench. All three have been tremendous servants to Ireland.
Let Robert Kitson set the Super Saturday scene for you in style ahead of today’s three games. It is Six Nations judgment day, as Kitson rightly says. (Or Tryminator 2: Judgment Day, as he rightly doesn’t say.)
Ireland team
Six changes from the Ireland side that started against France. The headline switch is Jack Crowley starting at fly-half in place of Sam Prendergast. The Munster man played every minute of his side’s Six Nations triumph last year but has had a bit-part role until now. Can Crowley – with rumours swirling of a hefty contract offer from Leicester – stake a claim to the No 10 shirt?
Elsewhere, Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose are back from injury and suspension respectively. James Lowe, sorely missed after he was forced to pull out in the warm-up last weekend, returns. Jack Conan replaces Peter O’Mahony, one of a trio of retiring centurions, while James Ryan is in for Joe McCarthy.
Frankly, the players returning from injury and suspension mean this Ireland side has a stronger look than the one who faced France. Ireland would likely have swapped such a scenario. C’est la vie, as they probably say somewhere.
Ireland: 15 Keenan, 14 Hansen, 13 Ringrose, 12 Henshaw, 11 Lowe, 10 Crowley, 9 Gibson-Park; 1 Porter, 2 Sheehan, 3 Bealham, 4 Ryan, 5 Beirne, 6 Conan, 7 Van der Flier, 8 Doris (capt)
Replacements: 16 G McCarthy, 17 Boyle, 18 Furlong, 19 McCarthy, 20 O’Mahony, 21 Murray, 22 Prendergast, 23 Aki
Italy team
Gonzalo Quesada makes seven changes to his Azzurri side that took on England, the eye-catching one is the captain, Michele Lamaro, being benched. Manuel Zuliani comes in to replace him, while the experienced centre Juan Ignacio Brex will skipper the side.
Giacomo Nicotera and Niccolo Cannone also drop to the bench, as does Ross Vintcent, despite his try at Twickenham, replaced at No 8 by Lorenzo Cannone. Gotta have a Cannone in there, it seems. Tommaso Allan slots back in at full-back.
On the decision to drop captain Lamaro after 24 consecutive Six Nations starts, Quesada said: “Zuliani deserved the opportunity from the first minute and at the same time we want to have greater leadership on the pitch in the final stages of the game.” No harm in resting weary bodies, we’ll see if Lamaro can have an impact off the bench.
Italy: 15 Allan, 14 Capuozzo, 13 Brex (capt), 12 Menoncello, 11 Ioane, 10 Garbisi, 9 Page-Relo; 1 Fischetti, 2 Lucchesi, 3 Ferrari, 4 Lamb, 5 Ruzza, 6 Negri, 7 Zuliani, 8 L Cannone
Replacements: 16 Nicotera, 17 Spagnolo, 18 Zilocchi, 19 N Cannone, 20 Lamaro, 21 Vintcent, 22 Varney, 23 Marin
Preamble
A Six Nations that began in January with images of captains in the Colosseum ends – for Italy and Ireland – in Rome. And it’s two sets of battle-worn gladiators who face off. Ireland completed the triple crown but are smarting from that 42-27 defeat in Dublin by France, while Italy also started positively – battling against Scotland, seeing off Wales – but have shipped 120 total points in their last two games.
Irish hopes of a historic three-peat are hanging by a thread – but they are not altogether dashed. Which brings us to every fan’s favourite final-round championship chat: permutations! Let’s not drill too deep or else we’ll end up on how, mathematically at least, Scotland can still triumph (it involves thumping France by 52 points in Paris, among other things).
Realistically, Ireland have to get a bonus-point victory here, then hope England fail to beat Wales (or win but without a bonus point and end up with an inferior points difference to the Irish), then that Scotland pull off the upset and defeat France. Clear as a muddy pitch? We thought so.
It’s the longest of long shots for Ireland but after a tough week, Simon Easterby’s side will want first and foremost to remind everyone that one bad half against a fired-up France does not make them a poor rugby team. Italy for their part are only a point ahead of Wales as they aim to finish above the wooden spoon spot for a second successive championship. Their sole Six Nations win against Ireland in 25 attempts came at this stadium 12 years ago. Can they pull off an almighty upset? We find out with kick-off at 2.30pm GMT.
